Article: How To Care For Your Calathea Plants
How To Care For Your Calathea Plants
HISTORY:
Calathea Plants, native to jungles of South Africa are grown primarily for their beautiful, brightly colored, upright, oval leaves. This beautiful plant symbolizes a new beginning from the famous expression "to turn over a new leaf". That's exactly what the Calathea does when it gets too dark, making it a perfect gift to anyone who needs a new beginning.
WATERING TIPS:
Calathea Plants are very sensitive to the water you use. Hard water, soft water, fluoridated water, or water of poor quality causes the leaves of a Calathea Plant to turn brown from leaf burn. The best way to water a Calathea Plant is to use distilled water, rainwater, or allow your tap water to sit out overnight before using it. Keep the soil of a Calathea Plant moist but never soggy. Allow the top 2-3” to dry out before watering.
SUNLIGHT REQUIREMENTS:
A Calathea Plant likes bright indirect light; so placing it in front of an east, west, or north window is ideal. Too much direct sun burns the leaves of a Calathea Plant and causes the beautiful leaf colors to fade.
SOIL AND FERTILIZER USAGE:
We recommend using organic potting soil when repotting your Calathea. All fertilizers used should be diluted to at least 1/2 strength to avoid harming the plant. You should only use fertilizers during their growing season (spring and summer). It is not required to fertilize your plant, it may just grow at a slower rate.
WEATHER TOLERANCE:
Calathea Plants like temperatures between 65-80 degrees, and do not like cold drafts or temperatures below 55-60 degrees. Hot temperatures cause the leaves of a Calathea Plant to curl.
INSECT PROTECTION:
For the most part, Calathea plants are bug-free plant. The most common bug is the mealybug. If your plant obtains these bugs, we recommend lightly spraying them daily with mild, soapy water until all bugs are gone. For an in depth analysis on how to prevent and care for plants with bugs click here.
OLD OR DAMAGED LEAVES:
Naturally, old leaves will wilt and die as the plant grows. You can carefully remove these leaves making sure you do not damage the rest of the plant. If a healthy leaf is broken off, the plant will naturally grow back a new leaf to replace it.
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